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Simple Summary: Infiltration of the aerodigestive tract determines the prognosis in advanced thyroid carcinoma, ultimately leading to suffocation. To avoid this fatal outcome, surgical treatment strategies—within the framework of multidisciplinary patient care—are required. There are no established guidelines to rely on, and an individualized surgical treatment approach is required. The aim of this study was to present and critically analyze the stepwise escalatory surgical treatment strategy, which was applied over a 16-year time period at the University Medical Center Mainz, in respect to the resulting recurrence-free survival. The feasibility of stage-adapted tracheal resections is illustrated by the present study. Despite the risk of potentially life-threatening complications from the operations, prolonged recurrence-free and overall survival were observed in the institutional cohort of patients suffering from high-stage thyroid carcinoma. (1) Background: Infiltration of the aerodigestive tract in advanced thyroid carcinoma determines the prognosis and quality of life. Different stages of tracheal tumor invasion require customization of the surgical concept. (2) Methods: In the period from January 2007 to January 2023, patients who underwent surgery for advanced thyroid carcinomas with trachea resections were included in a retrospective observational study. The surgical resection concepts and operation-associated complications were documented. The overall survival and post-resection survival were analyzed. (3) Results: From 2007 to 2023, at the single-center UMC Mainz, 33 patients (15 female and 18 male) underwent neck surgery with trachea resections for locally advanced thyroid carcinomas. Of these, 14 were treated with non-transmural (trachea shaving) and 19 transmural trachea resections (9 "window" resections, 6 near-circular resections, 3 sleeve resections and 1 total laryngectomy with extramucosal esophageal resection). The two-year postoperative survival rate was 82.0 percent. The two-year recurrence-free survival rate was 75.0 percent (mean follow-up period: 29.2 months). (4) Conclusions: Tracheal resections for locally advanced tumor infiltration are feasible as an element of highly individualized treatment concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current measurement practices of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) produce an upward bias of about one‐ninth of a percentage point in German inflation due to changing consumption being disregarded and preliminary data being used in the compilation of expenditure weights. The statistical uncertainty produced by these sources of mismeasurement can be illustrated by an interdecile range of about one‐quarter of a percentage point. The annual updating of the quantity component of the weights, implemented in 2012, has reduced the substitution component, making the disregard of changing consumption virtually a non‐issue for the euro area HICP. The measurement of the German HICP is impaired by the extrapolation of expenditure weights. The use of preliminary national accounts data since 2012 has not led to an improvement. This source of mismeasurement is likely to be relevant for the euro area HICP as well but cannot be quantified due to data constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sampling of fluvial sediment is subject to many sources of uncertainty, for example, time and location, and the number of samples collected. It is nevertheless commonly assumed that a sample taken at one time and location provides a somewhat averaged compositional signal. Any spatial or temporal variability of this signal is often neglected. This study investigates how the composition of bed load sand changes over an observation period of 1 year in four river basins with differing bedrock geology in southwestern Germany. Up to 12 bulk sediment samples were taken at the same locations using the same approach and analyzed for their granulometry and geochemistry. The results indicate that (a) different grain sizes yield different compositions due to source rock composition and hydraulic sorting effects, (b) bulk sediment composition changes temporally due to changing grain‐size distribution, and (c) compared to the bulk sample, the composition of narrow grain sizes is temporally more stable but nevertheless has an average variability of 15%. Because heavy mineral‐bound elements such as Zr have the highest variability, we relate a major component of compositional variability to temporally varying heavy mineral concentrations in response to hydrodynamic processes. Mixing modeling demonstrates that the fluvial sand faithfully reflects its catchment geology and that the sediment sources do not change substantially during the observation period, even during a flooding event. We conclude (a) that the causes for compositional variability may be disentangled using chemical and granulometric time series data and (b) that narrow grain sizes yield representative source rock contributions. Plain Language Summary: Sediment transported by rivers is generated by the erosion of the rocks present within the river catchment area. The composition of this sediment is controlled by various processes in the catchment, for example, climate, rock type, weathering, and flow strength. Geoscientists can use modern river sediment to understand how these processes impact sediment composition, and then apply this information to the geologic time. Sampling the river sediment is often the first step in such studies, but few studies consider the sources of uncertainty during sampling, for example, time and location of sampling, and number of collected samples. For this study, we returned to the same river location during the course of 1 year to take bulk sediment samples and analyzed how variable the size of sediment grains and the sediment chemistry are. We discovered that different grain sizes yield different chemical compositions, and this is caused by differences in rock type and hydraulic processes. Because the proportion of different grain sizes in the bulk sediment changes over the year due to water flow conditions, the chemistry of the bulk sediment sample changes over the year. We provide some quantitative estimates for this variability that should be considered in similar studies. Key Points: Bed load sand from 4 rivers was sampled monthly over the course of 1 year to analyze the temporal compositional variabilityComposition is grain‐size‐dependent, and narrow grain‐size fractions show less variability than bulk sediment samplesComposition changes during the year, and this is related to changing grain‐size distributions rather than changing sediment sources [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Syndrome des Basses Richesses (SBR) is a bacterial yellowing disease of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) that reduces the sugar content of the root tissue significantly. There is currently neither a cure for the disease nor effective control measures for the main insect vector, the Cixiid planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus. SBR is therefore spreading in Germany and has caused substantial yield losses in recent years. The development of effective control measures requires a better understanding of P. leporinus biology, including its life cycle and feeding behavior. We therefore established methods for the continuous mass rearing of P. leporinus. In host plant choice experiments, we found that the nymphs are polyphagous when offered sugar beet, winter wheat or maize. Life cycle data indicated that adult planthoppers emerge 170 days after hatching, having passed through five larval instar stages. We developed a state-of-the-art qRT-PCR protocol using TaqMan probes to study the prevalence of two bona fide SBR pathogens: Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus (Gammaproteobacteria) and Candidatus Phytoplasma solani (stolbur phytoplasma). These were identified during field studies in newly-infected regions of Rhineland-Palatinate and south Hesse, Germany, where we also observed insect mobility patterns in two consecutive years, including the abundance of adults at four locations and soil-depth monitoring of nymphs. We documented the spread of P. leporinus northward and eastward in Germany, accompanied by an increase in the number of SBR-carrying planthoppers. Interestingly, P. leporinus does not appear to hibernate during winter. Stolbur phytoplasma has a significant impact on SBR pathology in sugar beet. The rapid spread of the bacterial yellowing disease Syndrome des Basses Richesses (SBR) has a major impact on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) cultivation in Germany, resulting in significant yield losses. SBR-causing bacteria are transmitted by insects, mainly the Cixiid planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus. However, little is known about the biology of this emerging vector, including its life cycle, oviposition, developmental stages, diapauses, and feeding behavior. Continuous mass rearing is required for the comprehensive analysis of this insect. Here we describe the development of mass rearing techniques for P. leporinus, allowing us to investigate life cycle and ecological traits, such as host plant choice, in order to design agronomic measures that can interrupt the life cycle of nymphs in the soil. We also conducted field studies in recently-infected regions of Rhineland-Palatinate and south Hesse, Germany, to study insect mobility patterns and abundance at four locations during two consecutive years. The soil-depth monitoring of nymphs revealed the movement of the instars through different soil layers. Finally, we determined the prevalence of SBR-causing bacteria by designing TaqMan probes specific for two bona fide SBR pathogens: Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus (Gammaproteobacteria) and Candidatus Phytoplasma solani (stolbur phytoplasma). Our data suggest that P. leporinus is spreading northward and eastward in Germany, additionally, the abundance of SBR-carrying planthoppers is increasing. Interestingly, P. leporinus does not appear to hibernate during winter, and is polyphagous as a nymph. Stolbur phytoplasma has a significant impact on SBR pathology in sugar beet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]